Michael Irvin giving Dallas Cowboys 10 more years to prove they’re still America’s Team

The clock is ticking on the Dallas Cowboys to break their Super Bowl drought, which is why Michael Irvin is giving them a 10-year grace period.

Irvin joined Wake Up Barstool on FS1 Tuesday morning to preview next week’s NFL Melbourne Game on Netflix and talk about the Dallas Cowboys. And when he was asked about how Jerry Jones should react if the Cowboys ever break their Super Bowl drought, Irvin said he would be too busy doing his own celebrating.

“We cannot remain America’s Team if a whole generation of Americans never see us in a championship game” – Michael Irvin on the Dallas Cowboys pic.twitter.com/TC12nVfCBf

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 1, 2026

“I’m so tired of people talking about ‘it’s been 30 years.’ They act like history is only them 30 years,” Irvin said. “They just throw out the first 30 and only focus on that last 30.”

With that said, it’s been 30 years. And 30 years without a Super Bowl or even a Championship Game appearance is a brutally long drought for a franchise branded “America’s Team.” Which is why even Michael Irvin knows there’s some truth to what the critics are saying about the Cowboys.

“There’s some credence to what they’re saying,” Irvin admitted. “We cannot remain America’s Team if a whole generation of Americans never see us in a championship game. And in 10 more years – the bible calls 40 years a generation – we would have missed a whole damn generation. So the time is now.”

The Cowboys won their last Super Bowl in 1996. Since then, the New England Patriots have won six championships, the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs each have three. In terms of on-field success, the Cowboys should have lost the title of “America’s Team” years ago. But in terms of ratings and attention, the Cowboys are still America’s Team.

The question is, when will fans stop caring about the Cowboys? Irvin thinks 10 more years might finally do them in. Having another 10 years of peak relevancy is great news for ESPN and NFL media. But even if fans continue to care about Jerry Jones’ NFL franchise during their mounting Super Bowl drought, the Cowboys might be better labeled as “lovable losers” than “America’s Team.”